UNREPENTANT BELIEF

And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. ~ Acts 8:8-24

Recently, as I skimmed through a “documentary” in opposition to repentance in relation to believing in Christ, a Free Grace Pastor claimed that when Simon asked Peter to pray for him he was actually saying “pray to the Lord that I don’t become bitter because of this, that I don’t get enwrapped in the bond of iniquity.”

That’s actually not what the scripture says. Simon did not ask Peter to pray for him not become bitter and enwrapped in the bond of iniquity. Peter told him that he was already in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.

In another article on this topic I shared the following regarding the gall of bitterness.

The bitterest grief; extreme affliction. The ancients taught that grief and joy were subject to the gall, affection to the heart, knowledge to the kidneys, anger to the bile (one of the four humours of the body), and courage or timidity to the liver. The gall of bitterness, like the heart of hearts, means the bitter centre of bitterness, as the heart of hearts means the innermost recesses of the heart or affections. In the Acts it is used to signify “the sinfulness of sin,” which leads to the bitterest grief. ~ Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, E. Cobham Brewer, 1894

This was no small matter. Simon had lost his influence over the people, and could no longer bewitch them. Even though he believed and had been baptized, he was a false convert who rather than having a new heart, cleansed by the blood of Christ, was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity.

Now, I know that is unpopular to say, especially with those who believe that no repentance is necessary to be saved. Understand this: if you are saved, your attitude towards sin changes because you become a new creature in Christ.

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ~ Romans 6:1-4

Those who are saved are not trying to make excuses for sin, those who are saved want to live above sin, in godliness and truth, just as the Psalmist says in relation to repentance, “ thou desirest truth in the inward parts.”

With regards to Simon the Sorcerer, another FG minister made the following statement, “And you know what Simon says? He says, man I want you to pray for me, that none of these things happen to me.” He says he’s sorry. I mean right away he completely repents of it.

This minister then extrapolates how Simon realizes he was just acting foolishly and admits he (Simon) was wrong. The minister then inserted into the text that Simon said, “I was wrong.” Then the FG minister says, “so we see that he has a good heart.”

Did Simon have a good heart? Not according to the apostle Peter who said to him, Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Even though Simon did believe the things preached by Philip and was baptized, he never turned from his sorcery. He had for a long time bewitched the people, and if he were to truly follow Jesus as a disciple, he would have to turn from his sorcery. Thus Peter rebukes him regarding this.

Simon offered the apostles money for the gift of God because his heart was not right with God, not because he just said something stupid, being a baby Christian. Simon was still steeped in the sin of sorcery, and because he wanted to use the gift of God in the same manner he had bewitched the people with sorcery, Peter rebuked him.

According to Peter, the following were true regarding Simon.

1. He had no part or lot in this matter. In other words he wasn’t qualified to receive or minister to others the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2. His heart was not right in the sight of God. He had not had a true conversion. Belief without turning from your old ways is not true faith. 

3. He had not repented of his sorcery (repent of this, thy wickedness).

4. He needed forgiveness from God.

5. He was in the gall of bitterness and the bond of Iniquity.

It’s important for us to grasp what Peter is saying when he tells Simon, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Notice that Peter says to Simon, Thy money perish with thee. Simon was not saved. He was going to perish without repentance of his sorcery and the reason for that was that he thought the gift of God could be purchased with money.

Simon’s belief in the things that Philip preached was in the unrepentant mindset of sorcery. His pursuit was all wrong. When Peter tells him Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, it was an indictment against him that he wasn’t saved and in God’s kingdom.

Now, in contrast to what Peter says to Simon, consider his words to those who were repented on the day of Pentecost.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. ~ Acts 2:37-39

In Acts 2, Peter had preached to his Jewish kinsmen that they were culprits in condemning Jesus to death and rejecting him as the Messiah. Consequently, they were pricked in their hearts. A more accurate description is pierced. Its usage in the Greek is, I am pierced, stung, smitten. In other words, they were smitten with conviction and as a result they asked Peter, what shall we do?

In response, Peter tells them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and they would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. This is in stark contrast to what Peter told Simon the Sorcerer, Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

Unlike those in Acts 2, Simon the Sorcerer had not yet repented and turned to Christ in his heart. Understand this, it is entirely possible to believe and yet be unchanged because you refuse to turn your heart to the Lord. Such belief will not profit you in the day of Christ.

Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. ~ John 12:42-43

Were these chief rulers who believed on Jesus saved? Absolutely not, because they were ashamed to publicly confess their belief in him, and they desired the praise of men more than the praise of God.

In John 8, some of the very same Jews who momentarily believed in Jesus were the very ones who in the same setting turned on him and took up stones to stone him.

Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.  ~ John 8:28-32

The Jews in this reference who believed, were not some bystanders listening to his dialogue with other Jews. They were some of the very ones who began to question Jesus when he said, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. It was these same Jews (who momentarily believed in him,) who became angry when Jesus began to address their sin.

The confrontation became so sharp that John tells us, Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. ~ John 8:59

Belief in Jesus which leads to salvation is belief that he is truly the Son of God and that kind of belief turns the heart to the Lord.

But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:15-18

Repentance is turning our heart to the Lord and when we do, we are changed into his image from glory to glory by the Spirit of Lord. From glory to glory means we grow more and more into his glorious likeness by the Spirit of the Lord, whose work in our hearts is to conform us into the image and likeness of Jesus. Freedom in Christ is not found in not repenting of sin, it’s found in true repentance of sin, because true repentance is a work of grace in the heart by the Holy Spirit. Neither Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8, the chief rulers in John 12, or the Jews in John 8 had repentant hearts. Yet they all had unrepentant belief with unchanged hearts.